With the extension of 890 Central laws applicable to Jammu and Kashmir, repeal of 205 state laws, and modification of 129 laws after the abrogation of Article 370, a system of equitable justice has been established in J&K for all sections of people.
The rights of weaker sections like Scheduled Tribes, other traditional forest dwellers, Scheduled Castes, and Safai Karamcharis are now ensured by the application of relevant Acts. The rights of children and senior citizens are now being ensured.
In order to create a just and equitable society, reservation rules have been amended to extend the benefits of reservation to left-out categories like Pahari-speaking people and economically weaker sections.
For the first time, the spouse of a J&K domicile shall also be deemed as a domicile. Earlier, spouses of Permanent Resident Card holders were considered at par but were not considered domiciles. Children of central government officials posted for over ten years in Jammu and Kashmir will also continue to be considered domiciles.
The implementation of several path-breaking central legislations after the revocation of Article 370, like the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forests Rights) Act, 2007, the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1954, among others, is bringing a new era of progress and development in J&K.
The Forest Rights Act 2006 was implemented in J&K after 14 years of its existence in other states of India. With the special attention of the UT Government, Community claims’ and ‘individual claims are being settled by the administration of respective districts.
Following rationalization of the percentage of reservation of different categories in direct recruitment, the residents of backward areas will now have 10 percent reservation, Pahari speaking people (4 percent) and Economically weaker sections (10 percent).
As per provisions of the Act, reservation in employment and admissions in professional institutions, among others is provided to the persons belonging to Socially and Educationally Backward Classes categorized as Weak and Underprivileged Classes (Social Castes), Residents of Areas adjoining Actual Line of Control and Residents of Backward Areas.
For decades, infrastructure was in tatters despite the huge amount of money sent by the center. The non-development agenda of seven decades in J&K mired the UT in a low-growth syndrome. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister J&K is witnessing a new dawn.
The column is the translated version, published by Daily Srinagar Jang, 23 July 2023 edition, in Urdu language.
